Front Line Defenders: protection grants of up to EUR 7,500 for human rights defenders and organisations at risk, rolling applications

Front Line Defenders is accepting rolling applications under its Protection Grants programme to provide rapid and practical financial support to human rights defenders and their organisations at risk. Established in 2001, this emergency initiative helps defenders address acute security and protection threats arising directly from their peaceful human rights work.

Grants are awarded up to a maximum amount of EUR 7,500. There is no fixed deadline, as applications are received and processed on an ongoing, rolling basis, allowing human rights defenders facing urgent vulnerabilities to seek assistance when risks emerge.

What is funded

The grant provides targeted assistance to enhance the immediate safety and resilience of human rights defenders and their entities. Eligible expenditures include measures to strengthen physical security, reinforce digital security, and establish secure communications systems.

Funding may also cover legal expenses for defenders facing judicial harassment, medical treatments required as a result of attacks or health complications stemming from human rights activities, and family support for imprisoned defenders or relatives facing danger due to the defender’s work.

The programme explicitly excludes retrospective funding, general living costs, ongoing office running costs such as rent or regular salaries, armed security personnel, and vehicle purchases. It also does not fund broader thematic human rights projects, international organisations, or defenders who are already living in exile.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants are individual human rights defenders and local non-governmental organisations that face verifiable risks as a direct result of their peaceful human rights activities. The mechanism is designed specifically for grassroots defenders operating in vulnerable contexts.

International organisations are not eligible for this funding. Additionally, entities or individuals that have already secured alternative financing for the exact same purpose, or those that have duplicate applications pending elsewhere, cannot receive support under this scheme.

Conditions and requirements

Protection Grants are generally not awarded for 100% of the proposed project budget. Front Line Defenders verifies that requests have not received duplicate funding from other international donors, and lobbying in favour of submitted applications is strictly discouraged.

Recipients are required to submit a concise narrative report and provide original receipts for all expenditures once the initiative concludes. If an activity fails to take place, receives external funding, or lacks a satisfactory final report, the grant must be returned in full, and the applicant loses eligibility for future assistance.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the secure online application form hosted on the Front Line Defenders platform. Submissions are accepted in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Russian, French, Spanish, Farsi, Portuguese, Chinese, and Turkish, and all candidates receive written notification regarding the final decision.

Practical tip. Prioritise operational security when completing your submission by using a trusted device, a protected network, and a newly created email account, ensuring the contact details you provide can be safely accessed without putting yourself or your colleagues in danger.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: frontlinedefenders.org.